We were incredibly moved by this story and wanted to share it. If you have a partner you want to encourage healthy changes with – read on. And if you're planning a wedding and want to be your best in your gown or tux, you'll love reading this letter. Thanks to Melinda and Carlos for writing this. – BBB

Dear Burn & Build Body,

You might like to know our story….

My husband and I are both 44 years old. About 6 or 7 months ago, I started trying to come up with a way to help my husband improve his health. He was overweight, had low energy levels, and was sick very often (frequent trips to urgent care). He also drank many, many diet sodas a day, which I hoped he might cut down on.

I Found your Detox in Oprah Magazine

About that time I read about your 14-Day Detox program in O, The Oprah Magazine. I had never done a detox program or a formal diet program for that matter, but thought it looked like a good thing to try. I told my husband that i wanted to do this detox and asked if he'd like to join me. He read about it and agreed.

Going into the detox, we both thought we would "suffer" through the 2 weeks, then happily return to our steak and potato southern cooking lifestyle. We decided to begin it right after Thanksgiving. I used the weeks leading up to it to read up on the ingredients suggested, and recipes to use them in. When we began I had the ingredients and some recipes to carry us through. By the way, some of these things, like quinoa, I had never even heard of.

Next Stop - Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

We told each other that as soon as it was over we were going to reward ourselves with Krispy Kreme doughnuts! The first three days were hard on him, as he had to break his addiction to caffeine. We both noticed starting around day 4 that we felt better. I don't mean just better, but it was almost like we never knew we could feel that good. We continued on throughout the entire 14-day program exactly as it was laid out. We did not cheat once.

At the end of the 14 days, we were both different. I lost 10 pounds. He lost 13 pounds. More than that, I unexpectedly did not have the aches and pains of my arthritis anymore. My digestive system was also operating smoothly. I had no idea that these things were simply not just a part of my life!

I have had rheumatoid arthritis since I was a teenager with JRA. I've also ALWAYS had a sensitive digestive system. I never left home without my Imodium. Never. Suddenly these were no longer. As for my husband, he said he now thought diet soda was the most disgusting thing, and he never wanted another one. We both felt like new people. So much so, that we have not ever changed our diet back. We now only shop at Whole Foods for pure whole ingredients. We do not eat anything that has been processed in any way. I season my food with herbs now instead of frying it in Crisco!

I Lost 16 Pounds, My Husband Lost 25!

It has now been about 5 months, and we are happier than ever. We love the way we feel after our meals now. When we go out of town we miss our simple fresh meals at home. Without trying, I have now lost 16 pounds total and am at my college weight of 133 at 5'10". My husband has lost a little over 25 pounds total. We have more energy. We're spending more time outdoors enjoying things like riding bikes and swimming.

My husband has not been sick since the detox began, and neither have I.

Miraculous For Our Wedding

The true beauty of our story is that we were just married on April 25th. We had no idea when we started the detox that it would "miraculously" bring us to our best by the time of our wedding. I would not have thought twice about being in my wedding dress at my previous weight, but I can say that actually being in it at my optimal weight was incredible. My husband never said he wanted to lose weight for the wedding, but he did say he felt incredible for it.

It was like someone was just looking out for us with the way I stumbled upon your Detox and the way it impacted our lives. I honestly feel that I have many more happy and healthy years ahead now! So thank you, for changing our futures for the better.